Take ACTION by contacting your State Legislators and encouraging them to vote for SB 1387 to add Jewish as an ethnicity in data collection systems.
- Find your California Assembly Member and Senator!
Sample script:
Hello, my name is [Your Name] and I’m calling as a member of the Jewish Center for Justice in zip code [your zip code].
I am urging [name of representative] to vote yes on SB 1387, which would include “Jewish” as an ethnicity as a part of optional self-identification for government data collection. This is important because, as Judaism is an Ethnic-Religion, many Jews feel as if they do not have a way to represent their ethnicity on government forms. Additionally, SB 1387 would give the government more data on the geographic organization of Jewish communities to better protect against antisemitism and hate crimes through legislation. Finally, adding Jewish as an Ethnicity on hospital forms would allow for hospitals to no whether or not to test for things like the hereditary mutations of the BRCA gene that can cause breast or ovarian cancer, often found in Jewish women. If SB 1387 were to pass, it would allow Jewish people to better identify themselves and be protected from hate crimes and medical issues.
Thank you for you time and consideration
What is JCJ advocating for?
SB 1387 would:
- Improve the state’s ability to collect anonymous data to better understand issues affecting Jewish Californians, including public health and discrimination.
- Recognize Jewish identity as an ethnicity in California demographic data collection.
- Add a voluntary “Jewish” ancestry/ethnicity option to certain state forms
Why are we advocating for recognizing Judaism as an Ethnicity on Government forms?
The Jewish Center for Justice recognizes and believes in the Jewish peoplehood and our right as a people to feel safe and represented. Guided by this belief, we stand firmly in support of SB 1387, legislation that allows for Jewish people to identify and be proud of their Ethnicity while also creating a system that could increase the government’s ability to protect and provide for the Jewish people. To learn more about our work on antisemitism and Jewish issues, click here.
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